Back when I first arrived in Laos, I stayed in a hotel and while some people get fancy company vehicles, I walked everywhere.
Now, the Internet is terrible at communicating tone, so let me clarify.
I honestly enjoy walking! I get to find all of the hidden gems that you just can't get to with a car. Even if you could, those in cars often miss the corner treats and deals (steals?) that I love the most. Clear enough for ya?
I seem to have steered far away from actually talking about this restaurant. Let me get us back to where we should be.
Along the main road, right next to a French restaurant, (La something maybe. It's always La something..) sits this creative looking little food place. I'd walk by this place nearly everyday. When I'd notice it, I'd either be not hungry or too busy to stop and look.
I wonder if other people overlook this place as much as I have?
Well, I've made it here, so now what?
I go in and am welcomed by an expat employee (manager/owner?) , which is normally a good sign.
I sit down, and right in the middle of the table is a nice full cup of cinnamon. I think it would have been a great addition to the ambiance if it had been fresher. The cinnamon oil (and smell) had dried up a long time ago.
The menu was pretty all over the place. There is no theme that I could identify, (unless that was the idea) but if the food is good, I can forgive. (I know absolutely zero about menu themes. That is best left to professionals.)
The dishes ranged from Sri Lankan and Thai, to Mexican and Spanish (wait, what?!) with nice sounding names. (Deviled Chicken in the Sri Lankan side HAD to be tried)
I hadn't had Mexican or Spanish food in a while and decided to look at what could be had from that corner of the world. (Yes, I know that I am contemplating Mexican food at a Lao restaurant...) Unsurprisingly, the dishes were nearly identical; burrito and enchiladas or similar in both the Mexican and Spanish side. The only difference I could gather (from the menu) was the order that the ingredients were listed in...
As it would all be pretty much the same, I decided to enlist the aid of our expat host to determine which order of ingredients would make a better dish. A quick sideways glance returned to us with an uneasy, "Enchilada." The deviled chicken from the Sri Lankan side would also make an appearance.
After a bit of a wait, our food arrived. As you can see, my enchilada was very nice to look at. I can't say the same for the deviled chicken. It looked, "OK."
The flavor is where, as I mentioned in the title, I get what I deserve.
I did not enjoy the enchilada. I ate a few more bites than I probably should have, given my distaste for it, but I was crazy hungry! To be honest, the smell reminded me of an unclean person, and the taste was just all wrong. Spices were mixed together all willy nilly and was more in the style of Indian than Mexican. Not in a good way...
The deviled chicken, to me, was not quite right either. I can't put my finger on it, but it was just off. (I learned my lesson from the enchilada, "If it smells bad and tastes bad, don't keep eating to figure out what the bad taste is.")
I will point out, the staff was EXTREMELY attentive, but that could have been because I was at the only occupied table, on a Sunday. (Places usually close pretty early here, even earlier on Sundays)
This is my first review of a restaurant where I didn't find anything I liked. Having never written a negative review, I wasn't too sure how to approach this.
Better to tell the truth and leave room for improvement, than to smooth over the bad and lead people in blindly. That'll do.
Yes, this was a negative review. I did not enjoy the food here. I WILL be returning to the restaurant. I love returning when everything is perfect and the food is wonderful. However, it would be totally unfair to the restaurant and to myself (readers too) to just give it a bad review and never return.
The menu was quite extensive, and there will be plenty of opportunities to try many of the other dishes. Maybe something a little more close to home, Thai perhaps?
Let me bottom line this. I went to a restaurant in Laos, and requested Mexican food prepared by locals. I ASKED for and got what I deserved.
